MinstrelofMyths

                               

1. Upbringing: He doesn’t remember where he was born, he has vague memories of his parents. What he does know is anyone that knew of their names, or what happened to them are no longer amongst the living. He was taken to, and was raised in his youth in Shadowprey village on the coast of Desolace, by a tauren inn keep by the name of Siska. Siska tried her best to give him a well rounded Darkspear life within the mixed community. He was later trained by the shaman Moj'akai, whom became the closest person he had to a father figure.

2. A big hurt: He was coming into his own, becoming a strong fire reaver within Earthen Ring when something so terrible happened to him that it really twisted his growth and progress. Others around him changed, moved on, where as Wanja seemed to be stuck, and lost. He distanced himself from everyone he knew, leaving the Earthen Ring to pursue other things.

3. A longing for the sea : He went from salvage vessel to salvage vessel, as a deckhand. It was just something about the water, the smell, the work, people coming and going never getting closer to him than he wanted them to. He just seemed to love getting lost in all there was to sea life. He craved the life style, it seemed to soothe the fires that raged within him. His shamanic training also seemed to come in handy in a pinch if need be. He buried his past in drink, smoke, and a promiscuous life style. In a series of unfortunate and some ironically fortunate events, he accidentally inherited a frigate, and found himself being a captain on a neutral faction ship for a time.

4. The news of the death of Vol'jin: It renewed his interest in returning to the Earthen Ring. He was absolutely devastated by the loss of his Jin. He had always secretly admired the Jin, and had at one time aspired to be like him. To Wanja it felt as if what was left of his innocence and youth had died with Vol'jin as if it was tied in somehow. It was as if there was no looking back on anything he had value in, his heart raged in fire again seeking a vengeance for everything he had lost. After all the strides forward, it felt like he was ten paces back again, having to start from scratch. He had to do something, if not for himself but for all those on Azeroth that were still like he had been so long ago, full of hope, and promise. He enlisted once more to aid the Earthen Ring, to fight back the Legion. The Earthen Ring assigned him to journey with Moj'akai once more, although, this time as an equal, his old teacher was also assigned to Wanja to help bring balance to Wanja’s emotional state.

5. Not as innocent as he looks, or behaves : He may look an awkward baby face boyo, he may appear to be bashful as he smiles lopsidedly, he may fidget, he may stammer, but it’s just the residue of who he used to be that lingers on air around him. He’s more cynical and jaded than he pretends to be. The truth is there in his flame kissed eyes in a dagger like sharpness.

6. Scar’s, piercings, tattoos:  Scars:  He has scars on his arms from rituals requiring blood letting, that had been cauterize closed. Wanja’s back, and shoulders are marred as if some great beast had got a hold of him. It appears as if his regeneration hadn’t properly healed the wounds smooth, either due to being stunted from over use, or improper care when he had been recovering. Piercings:His tongue is pierced he clicks it often against his teeth out of habit.  His ears he likes to put jewelry in, and other various piercings on his person. Tattoos:  his right shoulder holds a tribal fire totem with a head of red scaled cobra that is surrounded in flames it's tail wraps around his arm, on his back ending on his left collar bone. Air in silvers and greys wisps on his forehead. Earth in earthy tones on his left forearm, and speckles of tribal blue water on his right.

7. Personality: He is emotionally volatile, it comes with what element that influences him the most. He really struggles with this aspect of what makes him, well him. He really wants to be a good person deep down in the core. He wants to be nice, and kind, and to actually be that person everyone sees as the friendly goober. He doesn't want to be taken too seriously, nor, to take others too seriously,  but at the same time that person he used to be is a little out of reach for him. Wanja seethes under the surface quite often. He can be flirty, friendly, and at other times shy, and skittish. It really depends on who he is interacting with, or what mood he’s in to begin with that sparks these things in him to be exposed.

8. Trust issues:  Wanja doesn’t trust easily… Oh, he may pretend he fully does, but he’s waiting for the knife to the back, or to be abandoned at any moment. He doesn’t invest in others, and he doesn’t invest in himself to do the right thing like he used to. He’s trying to change this aspect of himself, but again he struggles, and stumbles a lot.

( Recently rediscovered from a pile of poetry I wrote from 2001 that had barely escaped a past catastrophic flood that destroyed many keepsakes. I just felt it needed a place where it couldn't be as easily erased. )

A Treasure Bold
by K.B. 2001

Over a tattered couch's back,
It rested for many years,
Witnessing countless aftermaths,
Of weddings,
births,
and of funeral tears,
Although it was faded,
And the young ones that once held it tight,
had grown,
It was never beheld less dear,
It told more stories of spilled coffee,
than of hemming,
The addition of patches,
Had stopped sometime in the
roaring twenties,
each square placed had time and extra care,
Yet, on the right corner,
Stained an awful brunt brown,
A fire survivor scar from the forties,
Still it hung there,
A treasure bold,
Tired with age,
Displayed for all to see,
The warm, fond memories,
Of Uncles, and Aunts,
Of Great Grandfathers,
Children sitting on laps,
Mothers, and Daughters,
Fathers, and Sons,
Each torn and tattered thread,
Remembrance and Daydreams,
that were so carefully hung,
on the back of a tattered couch...

                  



1. Family: Thadian was a foundling as a toddler he was sent to stay the Gilnean orphanage, until he was either claimed by his parents, or until a home was found for him. He spent some time as an indentured farm hand that was later adopted within the Mikash family. Due to unforeseeable accidents that were the death of his adoptive parents he had spent some time as a street urchin, until he became an unofficial mascot to a courtesan by the name of Sadie for some time in his youth. After the fall of Gilneas he was taken in by a druid, that went by the name of Telran. Telran became a close companion who had the patience needed to aid Thadian in the right direction to find the balance of his affliction, and to become self reliant adult. Later by ill luck he ran with a dysfunctional pack of worgens until it fell apart. Thadian has always had a difficulty when it comes to family, or a pack mentality. There's always a measured kept distance with people in general since the Mikash's tragic death, he considers and values his friends as the closest thing he has towards a family.

2. Work: Thadian is a hard, fun loving worker. It really doesn't matter what kind of work he does he always puts in a hundred and ten percent into what he is doing, and has fun while he is in the process. He can be found singing, or whistling, or even humming as he works. He has been everything from a pickpocket, street performer, handyman, chimney sweep, odd jobs, and currently a quartermaster on a merchant vessel. Yet, he has a problem with authoritarian rule, he could never be a soldier, or a guard, or work for one, he's too independent minded for such duties.

3. Hobbies | Talents : Thadian is a contact juggler, he has four glass orbs given to him by Sadie long ago which he has held onto all these years. He's typically seen juggling two of them when he is idle, all four when he is performing. He's ambidextrous, which he uses for his street performing of sleight of hand magic tricks, and while he is juggling. He's a bit of trickster, but all in all he is doing what he does for a smile, or to help others build a little confidence in themselves. He tinkers as well, he can make poisons, sticky bombs, and other fun explosive stuff that helps out when in a tight pinch.

4. Life: He has a dramatic up and down roller coaster of a life, yet he maintains who he is throughout. A survivalist confident scrapper by nature he takes the hurdles in his way with an opportunistic vision. When one door closes, another opens for him to slip in, sometimes he is noticed, sometimes with it's done with more subtlety. He is hardly seen brooding about what lady luck has handed him, he just rolls with what is offered in his life. He is very fluid, and opened minded when it comes to the world around him, and those within it. He rarely puts expectations upon himself, or for others to conform to. He will out right refuse to conform to other's ideals, and expectations of him, and if anything he will bolt at the chance if anyone one attempts to force such things upon him. If he is ever put in situations that pressure him to the extreme he has no problem fighting dirty to get out of them. If he can't escape a circumstance he will take the lumps that come with it until there is an opportunity to get out of it. He's a fun loving, free spirit, that just skirts around the fringes going wherever the winds take him. He can be seen grinning wickedly in the face of adversity, spitting in the face of rules and regulations, and running full throttle away from the face of conventional ideals of romance. In his mind nothing will tether him down from what he wants from his life.

5. Affliction: At first it was difficult for him to even accept that he was afflicted with the worgen curse. Although, it was obvious he was, but at the same time he had been young and still in that mind set that it may be that way with the others, there just was no way possible that he could be afflicted too. So that initial denial, was his way of rebuking the curse from existing within him, there really couldn't be anything wrong with him, after all he still felt like himself. Of course he was wrong, and it took him a lot of self work, and his friend the druid's help to get him to accept all portions of himself even those he might find distasteful. Everyone that was afflicted seemed to have a different approach as to how they maintained balance, there didn't seem a right, or wrong way from Thadian's perspective. Thadian went with what worked for him, he found if he ate regularly, if he exercised, kept his emotional state as even keel as possible, he didn't even have to shift forms at all. He could just be him if he gave a little to what the spirit energy within him was craving, if he curbed the desires and instincts life was just the same as it always had been. He would have gone on forever as that, if he hadn't met with the ' pack '. His ways of maintaining balance vastly changed during that duration of stay amongst them. He now is quite often seen in human form during the day, and in the evening as Worgen just to even out his emotional states, those urges he calls an itch to shift.

6. The games he plays: He can seem like a manipulative little shit, which he won't outright deny. He hates labels, he hates the societies standard of making others ashamed of who they are, he plays on that. He's quick to sniff out what seems to be poor self esteem, or any perceived weakness to turn it around to become a strength. Shyness, or bashfulness, for an example is just another tool to achieve what one wants out of a situation: Predators, those that believe they are powerful, are lured in by those appearing shy, or weak, it's intoxicating for those seeking to display their prowess and cunning. One can use either qualities to control another into what they want from the conversation, even if it's for a mere smile, or laugh. So, for those that believe they are too shy, or too weak, or feel insignificant about an attribute about their personality, he enjoys showing them the power and soon acceptance in who and what they are, that there is no right, nor wrong in how to be, that there is nothing weak about them. That no matter what is perceived as a weakness has an unseen strength behind it to be used as a device, individual self confidence is his personal goal. His intentions are good, but the end result doesn't turn out that way all the time. Thadian excels at this type game to add a dash of chaos into what others may expect from one another, to add a bit of mystery to what seems an innocent reaction. He likes to create a little bit magic and mystery in the world around him, and the people in it, without the use of arcane, or any other actual spun magic.

7. Intimacy : Thadian has absolutely no problem expressing platonic forms of physical intimacy no matter what form he is in. He speaks louder at times with physical body language than he does verbally. He is open to public displays of affection, a scent marking cheek rub in greeting, a shoulder pat to someone feeling uncertain, a kiss to the forehead in parting, a playful body roll on a lap of someone he is close to, toying with someone's hair, anything to express he feels good and comfortable in someone's presence. He has no problem with saying without words how much he values those individuals in his life, how special and priceless they are to him. Yet that is where it ends... He has big issues that cannot be changed when it comes to relationships beyond friendship, so he avoids them all together.

8. The character inspiration : I have always been fascinated by the Coyote and his relationship with everything throughout his long history. The Coyote was an originating animal founder within the now united states, he thrives there and no where else in the world. He can be found from deserts, to forests, in the urban life, and everywhere in between doing quite well for himself. He is the ultimate shape shifter, and survivalist. He has been seen as villain and the hero throughout the ages, no perception of him is entirely wrong, reviled and in the same token revered. His purpose is often misunderstood, as is his intent, because he uses that confusion of his nature as a tool to survive. He is fluid ever changing as his environment changes, he's resilient against adversity. He has been poisoned, hunted to the extreme yet bounces back time and time again, as if in pure refusal in defiance to be eradicated by another's means. He can hide in plain sight, or make his presence known, yet isn't a threat unless he is after what he wants, when he wants it. He may lure with dances of play, a smiling friendly coyote face with a trot of cunning grace, by and by bewitching one to forget he is always and will always be a predator. He is the maverick, the nonconformist, the individualist, the survivalist, he skirts about the fringes to survive, and will never be completely tamed. His tricks have worked, having always out witted those that would oppress his freedoms to be as he is meant to be. My thoughts on that is how Thadian Mikash, the Coywolf came to be.

                                                            

    
1. Family: Ra'rhuk actually has a large portion of his family that are living. He has a half brother by the name of Kor'akk. He has an aunt, San'gee. A cousin Ren'nari and his two children by the names of Enzi and Safi. His uncle Raji'din however shares his condition, was the one that ultimately caused him to become a death knight. Ra'rhuk relates with Raji'din the most. He keeps a fair distance from his living relatives, as he does not wish for them to become a liability due to the work he does.

2. Work:  Ra'rhuk first serves the directive and order of the Ebon Blade. He secondly follows the Horde’s current rules and regulations. Thirdly he adheres to the tribe he works for standards of behavioral protocol. Ra'rhuk attempts to observe and reflect with consideration on all customs, and regulations when dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette. This code of conduct is practiced towards all races he encounters within the Horde’s and the Neutral governed territories.

3. Hobbies: He is known for his skill in black/silver smithing, rune forging, as well as a farrier at times. He is known to make fine weapons, shields, armor and accessories for his allies. He dabbles in Book Clubs, not as in reading, but in making designer clubs and maces out of books for those that keep his company. It was a running joke off a misunderstanding, that continues onward.  He enjoys socializing, observing the living and their interactions with each other. He finds it entertaining even if he is not a direct part of the interactions.

4. Life: Ra'rhuk was once the middle child of a large well to do family. His father Zor'atus had three mates, his mother Krena the white, was the third mate, and he was the first born of that union. He had a total of eight brother's and two sisters, only one brother survives to this day. Ra'rhuk was born before the Drakkari empire’s collapse, he had grown in the growing shadow of the great nation Zul'drak as she was still on the brink of her finest hours, he was a soldier on the front lines in life during her crumbling demise. He had only the best his disposal, which the harsh life of the north could offer, a prestigious education, a home of elaborate carved stone in Drak'Mabwa, a respectable position in the community, an earned title and regard amongst the warrior ranks, he held plots of land in Drak'sotra which produced wheat and poppies, raptors, and many other rewards for his service. His service had brought him many riches and finery his heart desired. He had lived a split life of comforts and battle from his first breath. He had grown with the honor codes of a warrior, lived well, followed orders, and in the end the greatest achievement to die with honor.

5. Undeath: Just as he was a proficient negotiator and soldier in life, his capabilities caused him to swiftly rise within the elite ranks of the Scourge. He was used at first as a shock troop against his own people, he then was moved to the front lines of the battle eventually given a prestigious placement in the aftermath. He selected what dead, and fallen hero's he believed could be raised relatively intact in mind to further the King's design, and to ensure that which was taken off the fields of battle to the appropriate locations to be raised. He only came to know of the Ebon Blade after the Lich King's demise as he was he was freed from the tendrils that held his mind. It was his return to his homeland that had the Ebon Blade's interest in him, he was introduce within the ranks at Ebon Watch. Since his resurrection, he has been a valued ally to many individuals, as much as he has been an opposing force to be reckoned with towards others.

6. Intimacy: This is something he struggles with, not that he is against touch or forms of emotional bonding. It is that he cannot bridge that gap for himself towards others. He does not feel a need to touch others on a casual, friendly, or otherwise basis. He does not immediately hug others, unless someone living states flat out that they need a hug, and no other being is in the vicinity to perform it. Even if someone is in tears bawling, he will just sit there waiting for the emotional outburst to pass. Now, if something is mentioned enough out of a habitual stand point he will do it, as if it is a custom to be followed. He has certain associates, and friends, that he does greet with an embrace of a hug every time. However, this action is not motivated from a personal desire to, only that it has been demanded of him and he believes that is the acceptable way to behave. A reach for him is an unmotivated action without another's voiced wishes to be comforted, a subtle gesture to a touch to a hand, or a shoulder, a touch to someone's hair just because he finds it fascinating. He is very reflective of other's expressions, he has a dry humor, these vague tells of a emotional presence deeply contained out of his reach beneath the surface. He does laugh, he does smile, even though his voice remains in that monotoned echo.

7. Vision: He is color blind.... He sees between realms, the spirit and the living, in shades of lich fire blue. ( You know when you die in game, and you are at the graveyard? He sees like that, but in shades of blue. ) He can recall what colors look like as he has full memory. It is a secret desire for him to see colors as he was meant to while living as the memory soon fades from his grasp when it's not described to him. Certain colors he struggles to recall more then others. Bright light can cause irritation, he rather be shrouded in shadow, or be in the shade then standing under the sun.

8. My Art, and other renditions of art on him:
I love making art of him.... He's supposed to have that kind of sensual appeal that you want to touch, but just can't, or have to deny that urge not because of your own limitations, but because of his own. There's just some unspoken boundary that just can't be broken. He's sharp looking, his obvious purpose was battle, although in life he was all the rage towards a visual attraction and appeal, even in undeath there is something about that lingers. That there is just something just out of reach and is so wanted to be obtained.

When others do art on him, either gift art, or fan art, or even commissions, I absolutely love how each individual captures it in their own way. Some have him looking off in the distance as if longing for more then he has, some have him smiling, and full of good humor, some draw items of significance for him to have as if it can forge a gap of what was once and what is now. No matter what kind of art is done of him, that essence of who he is as a character is captured. The faithful guard that is always in service to protect the living, the record keeper protecting the memories of the forgotten past, the safe haven where there is no judgement is passed, because he is beyond such mortal things. 


 I'll tag: Zenjaka , Zuhani,  LadyGhostDuchess